Banjo



(No Model.)

W. A. TODD.

BANJO.

No. 445,385. Patented Jan. 27, 1891,

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PATIENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. TODD, OF SAN lliANClhCt), (ALlliOliNLt BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,385, dated January27, 1891.

Application filed August 11, 1890. Serial No. 361,670. (No model.)

To ctZZ who/1t it may concern.-

Be it known that l, \VILLIAM A. TODD, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjos;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practice thesame.

My invention has relation to a certain new and useful improvement inbanjos, which consists of the parts and details of construction, as willbe hereinafter more fully set forth in the drawings, described, andpointed out in the specification.

My invention relates more particularly to the means whereby the tensionupon the banjo-head may be more perfectly regulated, so as to produce asweeter and stronger musical sound, in providing for the easier andquicker attachment or removal of the entire head and frame from thebanjo-frame proper, and, further, in providing a simpler and lessexpensive instrument.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich similar letters of reference are used to denote correspond ingparts throughout the entire drawings and specification, Figure 1 is atop plan view showing the head secured to the banjo frame or rim, andFig. 2 a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

In the carrying out of my invention I employ the ordinary closed-backbanjo, as shown in Fig. 2. Reference being had thereto, the letter Aindicates the outer frame or rim of the instrument, and B the headthereof. The holding or securing frame for the head consists of themovable and immovable inner and outer circular rims (J C, which areunited together and movably attached to the rim of the banjo, ashereinafterset forth. The outer immovable rim is provided with thedownwardly-extendin g flange 0, while the movable rim has a series oflaterallyextenct in g arms 0 projecting therefrom, which I pro vide withscrew-threaded openings cl. Said rim is adapted to fit and move withinthe outer rim C, and is connected thereto through the medium of screwsD, which pass through openings formed in the face of the outer rim C andscrew-threaded openings formed in the laterally-extending arms 0. Thedownwardlyegtcnding flange 0 of rim 0 bears against the metallic ring D.The head of the banjo extends over said ring and between the rim 0 andflange 0, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and the screwing or unscrewing ofscrews D serves to tighten or loosen the tension of the head. Thescrewing of said screws not only serves to cause rim C to move withinthe outer rim, but at the same time to increase the tension upon thehead proper. The inner and outer rims I form circular; but inasmuch asthe inner one is made movable within the outer one, it is immaterialwhether or not the former is a true circle, as the outer one being truethe head will when drawn taut be accurate. Ordinarily the tension of thehead is regulated before adjustment to the banjo; but the same may beregulated by the user by the tighteningor loosening of the adjListing-screws.

The rim O and head are movably secured to the banjo-frame through themedium of the short arms E. These arms are secured to the rim 0 by meansof the regulating-screws D and to the banjo-frame by screws 6. By thusforming the arms movable I am enabled, in case of damage resultingthereto, to easily remove either thereof and insert others in place.

I am aware that minor changes may be made in the arrangement and detailsof construction herein shown and described without causing or creating adeparture from the nature and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure protection in by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1.. In a banjo, the combination of an outer frame, an outer annular rimwithin the same, the latter provided with a depending annular flange, aring against which the lower end of said flange bears, an inn er rimprovided with an outwardlyextending annular flange, vertical screwspassing through the outer rim and through the annular flange of theinner banjo and their inner ends to the outer rim, IO rim, whereby thelatter may be adj usted,and substantially as set forth. the head havingits edges fitting between the In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein outer and inner rims and passing around the presence of twowitnesses. ring, substantially as set forth. TH I IAM A TODD 2. In abanjo, the combination of an inner J and an outer rim and a head havingits edges fitting therebetween, of radial arms having their outer endssecured to the frame of the Witnesses:

N. A. AOKER, M. G. LOEFLER.

